The Mystery of the Missing Mementos
by theblindwriter95
Summary: Co written with Jolly Roger Brat. When the family of Orillia comes to visit Enchancia, things that have meaning begin to go missing as the kids team up to solve the case.
1. Chapter 1

The Mystery of the Missing Mementos

Summary: Co written with Jolly Roger Brat. When the family of Orillia comes to visit Enchancia, things that have meaning begin to go missing as the kids team up to solve the case.

Chapter One

The royal family of Enchancia was in front of the castle waiting for the coach to land. From where she was standing between her mother Helen Genevieve "Nell" Johnson, three-year-old Elena was excited. For the next few days, the royal family of Orillia, a northern kingdom, was coming for a visit. King Robert and Queen Patricia meeting with Roland and Miranda, and they were bringing their daughters Zoe and Sandra with them. Their oldest son, Ezekiel, wasn't with them, since he was back at the castle working as a servant for a few months.

Nell remembered the last time she had been in Orillia. Elena and Gabby were only a few months old, and she and Bianca had brought Madeline and Sabrina with them. The eight-year-olds had taken some treats that Sandra had made for a birthday party without asking, but everything had turned out all right in the end. She reminded her sisters to behave themselves, and to make sure to ask Sandra if they could try some of her cooking if they wanted to sample it. She was also eager to have them meet Elena and Gabby. They had been a few months old when they first visited the kingdom, and Nell wondered if they remembered the new people.

"Presenting the royal family of Orillia," Baileywick announced.

"Roland," King Robert smiled as the family approached.

"It's good to see you again, Robert," Roland said as they shook hands. "I'm sure you remember Helen and her sisters, Sabrina and Madeline. And Nell's daughters Elena and Gabby. Her husband Robert will be along in a few minutes when he's done with his guard duties."

"Of course," Robert smiled as he kissed Nell's hand. The family had been invited to Nell and Bobby Lee's wedding, but they hadn't had a chance to properly meet Bobby Lee. "It's good to see you again, Helen."

"And you, King Robert," Nell smiled.

"She's got a sword!" Elena whispered, seeing the fencing foil at Sandra's side.

"That's right," Sandra agreed. "I had a fencing match this afternoon. My family had packed all our things in the morning, so we were able to go to my match and then come here."

"Did you win?" Gabby asked, seeing a trophy in the carriage.

"Second place," Sandra smiled.

"Well done!" Roland smiled; James had told him that Sandra was good with a sword, and they were both in Royal Prep's fencing club.

"Thank you, sir," Sandra said as she put her trophy back.

"Maybe you can practice sword fighting with the guards," Nell smiled. "I know Bobby Lee would love to see you in action. He'll never believe there's such a thing as a girl fencer!"

"Why would Daddy think that?" Gabby wondered in confusion, a bit surprised.

"Yeah. Me and Gabby sometimes see a girl guard," Elena muttered, looking down at her feet. "King has to have her work with him like Daddy gets to if we see her!"

Nell chuckled, patting her head. "I'm sure she does Love Bug but Daddy-"

"Daddy what?" Bobby Lee interrupted with a chuckle, kissing his wife on the cheek.

"Daddy would like to see Princess Sandra do some sword fighting," Nell smiled, motioning to their guests.

"A female fencer?" Bobby Lee asked. He looked surprised, but smiled when Sandra gave him a salute with her blade. He saluted back and said, "Well, Princess, I'd love to see you in action. Maybe we could put on a little exhibition after you get settled in?"

"That sounds like fun," Sandra agreed, putting her fencing foil at her side again.

"You see kitties first?" Elena asked.

"Kitties?" Zoe asked, Sandra echoing her.

"Elena's kitty Snow White lives in the stable," Nell explained. "She loves introducing her to new people."

"I love kitties too," Sandra agreed. "I have one at home."

"What's her name?" Elena asked.

"Well, sweetie, *his* name is Ambre. But I thought he was a girl first, so I called him Amber," Sandra explained.

"And lucky for us, Snow White turned out to be female!" Bobby Lee chuckled.

"Robert!" Nell chuckled. "Let's show everyone to their rooms, let them settle in, then we'll see Snow White."

Elena hated waiting. To her it was the worst thing on earth other than bath time as Gabby took her hand.

"Let's play with our toys while Mommy and Daddy talk to the grown ups," Gabby suggested with a smile. "They always take a long time."

"Girls, they don't take that long!" Bianca chuckled, patting their heads. "Besides your mommy and daddy thought that way about adults too when they were a little older than you."

"They did?" Elena asked in surprise.

"Yes they did Elena Lydia. Often I saw them sneak away one moment and the next come back completely filthy!" Bianca recalled with a laugh.

"Don't get any ideas, you two," Bobby Lee gave Elena and Gabby a mock glare.

"Snow White wouldn't like it if you picked her up and you're all filthy!" Nell agreed.

When the royal family from Orillia had settled into their rooms, Elena happily led the way to the stables where Snow White lived with her kitty friends.

Snow White looked up from her playtime with Lily Heart before nibbling on her ear.

"Hey! What's that for?!" Lily Heart purred, having the snow furred kitty let go.

"Mommy's here!" Snow White purred, running into her human mommy's arms as Lily Heart looked on.

She knew that Snow White had a special bond with Elena and as she watched Elena hold her up to some new humans, she realized that maybe Elena had the same bond with her best friend.

Elena proudly introduced the royal family of Orillia to the kittens. "This is my kitty Snow White!"

"Too bad we didn't bring Ambre with us," Zoe said as she stroked Snow White, "He'd like meeting her."

"But we both know that Ambre doesn't travel well in the coach," Robert agreed, knowing that the yellow tabby had been frightened when he had taken his first ride in a flying coach.

"It's all right, and you both know how skittish he is around strangers," Queen Patricia agreed. "It's just as well that he's at home."

"Someone has to hold down the castle while we're gone," Sandra agreed.

"You mean Ambre's the king of your castle?" Nell asked.

"Of course he is! What kind of question is that?" Sandra grinned as everyone laughed. "But he does let Dad meet with people, sign documents, and everything else."

"He's so generous," Robert chuckled.

"Wish Snow White could do that," Elena muttered softly as Nell picked her up.

"Elena, she can. It's just that Roland is allergic to her," Nell reminded her with a smile.

"It's all in his head," Sandra whispered.

"Yeah!" Elena agreed.

"Don't start that again," Nell smirked.

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it," Sandra smiled sweetly.

"Me either!" Elena giggled.

"Okay, now that we've met the kitties, let's let playing kitties play," Nell suggested as Snow White went back to the cats, and the cats continued their game.

Elena frowned, seeing how happy Snow White was before remembering a kitty of her very own. She was happy that Roland wasn't allergic to toy kitties as she ran back inside the castle to get it.

Her heart began to break as she realized that Kitty wasn't where she had left her that morning. Then again she remembered Princess Elena saying that Kitty had wings on her back so to the three year old, her best friend just flew away somewhere.

"Kitty? Kitty!" Elena called as she searched her room.

"What's the matter, Elena?" Bobby Lee asked.

"Kitty's gone! I looked all over for her but I can't find her nowhere!" Elena's lower lip started to tremble.

Bobby Lee knew that Elena would have a meltdown at any second about this, so he acted quickly. "It's all right, Love Bug," he said as he picked her up. "I'll help you look for her. Kitty can't have gone too far. She was just in here this morning."

Elena sniffed, burying herself in his chest as Bobby Lee stroked her hair.

"Is everything alright Robert?" Florence wondered as she began to put away some of Elena's freshly cleaned dresses.

"Elena's just upset that Kitty is lost," Bobby Lee explained as Florence nodded in understanding. "Mother, she's attached to Kitty as I was with Lamb lamb."

Florence smiled. "Oh yes. I remember that. You've had that little lamb ever since you were her age."

"That's right," Bobby Lee smiled as he remembered the lamb toy from his childhood. He sometimes let Elena and Gabby play with it, as long as they were careful, and he recalled that when they were first born, Lamb-Lamb would be between them in their crib, guarding them as they slept.

"And now she's in your and Helen's room where Helen has told me that you still sleep with her at night!" Florence chuckled much to the embarrassment of her son. "Speaking of your step children, when are you and Helen going to have one together?"

"Together?" Bobby Lee asked in shock as Elena looked up at him. "We have a child in this room! I can't just talk about Elena's mommy and I playing with each other!"

"Playing? Like tag?" Elena asked with a smile. "Because I'm good at tag!"

Florence chuckled at Elena's innocence. "No sweetheart. You see when Mommy and Daddy love each other very much, they-"

"Find Kitty?" Elena interrupted with a quivering lip.

"You're right, Love Bug; first thing's first: Let's find Kitty!" Bobby Lee smiled.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Sandra offered. "I couldn't help hearing you, and I know how Elena feels about losing something she loves."

"Really?" Elena looked up.

Sandra nodded. "I've got a plush kitty myself. Zoe gave him to me when I won my first fencing match."

"Is he like my Kitty?" Elena asked.

"No, Fig's just a regular plush kitty. He's like a good luck charm I use for my fencing matches. I'm not superstitious or anything, but..." Sandra trailed off.

"But you feel better when you sense he's watching you, since he was a gift from someone in the family," Bobby Lee smiled.

"Exactly," Sandra nodded.

"Can I see him?" Elena asked.

"Sure," Sandra smiled. "I keep him in my bag where I have my fencing outfit." She led her to her room, with Nell, Florence, and Bobby Lee behind them. However, when she went to her bag, she reached in and gasped. "He's gone! I always keep him in there when I go to fencing matches, but he's not there now!" She turned the bag inside out, but there was no plush black and white tuxedo cat.

"Where's your kitty?" Elena asked.

"Where's my kitty?" Sandra echoed.

"Now calm down there's no reason to freak out," Nell said with a smile as Elena ran to her arms. "I'm sure that we'll find both kitties."

"Before it's like your and Robert's first show and tell back in kindergarten Helen?" Florence recalled with a mocking glare.

"I'm sorry for taking Bobby Lee's lamb and I promise never to do it again," Nell recited, remembering that day well. "I hated being his partner for a month because of it."

"But you learned a lesson because of it, didn't you, Helen Genevieve?" Bianca smirked.

"Yes, Bianca," Nell replied, giving her the same guilty look she wore when she was found with the lamb.

"What happened? I heard Elena crying and wanted to help her," Zoe said as she poked her head into the room.

"Come on in, Zoe," Sandra waved her in, "We were looking for Elena's toy Kitty, and I wanted to show her Fig, but he's gone too!"

"Did you misplace Kitty?" Zoe asked. "I know Fig lives in Sandra's bag, so that's the first place I'd look for him."

"No!" Elena sniffled. "Kitty lives in my room!"

"Okay, let's look again," Nell suggested. "Maybe Kitty fell on the floor and you didn't see her."

"Like whenever you would lose your dolls as a kid," Bianca recalled with a chuckle, taking Elena by the hand.

"Maybe my eyes weren't working during those times," Nell muttered, taking Elena's other hand.

"It happens to the best of us," Bianca smiled. She knew Nell always tried to be careful with her things. She and Elena looked around her and Gabby's beds and under dressers and tables, but they didn't find Kitty.

"We'll find her; she can't have just gotten up and walked away," Bobby Lee assured her.

"Why would someone take Kitty? She's mine!" Elena was about to cry.

"Zoe and I can ask around, if that'll help," Sandra offered, Zoe nodding at her side.

"Thank you, Princess Sandra!" Nell smiled.

"Hey, we kitty lovers have to stick together, right?" Sandra smiled at Elena.

"Yeah!" Elena smiled a little.

Zoe and Sandra asked around into the evening for Kitty but unfortunately all they got was shakes of heads. Elena tried to stay positive that Kitty would be found but she was starting to become impatient.

Her hero, according to Nell and Bobby Lee, had given her Kitty during her and Gabby's first Wassailia and since meeting Princess Elena, Kitty meant everything to her.

Elena didn't want to be impatient or feel that way but she could sense her autism and when it was going to have her act out.

Mostly it was because she was curious about the world around her and herself which began the steak incident that her mommy wanted to forget.

The more she thought about Kitty, the more upset she was becoming until her autism had set itself loose.

Zoe saw Sandra shrink back with her hands over her ears when Elena's meltdown started. "You want to get out of here, Sandra?" she asked, knowing that her older sister had always been sensitive about not only certain smells, but also loud noises, and Elena screaming so close to her was making Sandra uneasy.

"I'm okay," Sandra tried to straighten up, but she managed to take her hands off her ears.

"You two go ahead," Bobby Lee urged, waving them out. "We'll take care of Elena."

"That's all right, son; Helen and I can calm her down," Florence spoke up. "You go with the girls. Maybe the three of you can meet up with Princess Sofia, Prince James, and Princess Amber, and see if they have any leads on the missing kitties."

"Good idea," Bobby Lee nodded, then when they were out in the hall, he asked, "Are you all right, Princess Sandra?"

"I'm okay," Sandra said as they walked along. "Sorry about that. Loud noises always bother me, but I know it's not Elena's fault."

"You know Elena's autistic, don't you?" Bobby Lee asked.

"Yes; King Roland described you and your family in his letter," Sandra nodded. "Mom told us to be patient with Elena, and try to help her if you need anything for her."

Soon, Sofia, James, and Amber met up with them. "No luck finding Kitty?" Sofia asked.

"And Elena's a little upset about it?" James asked, grinning.

"You could say that," Bobby Lee chuckled. "Did you three have any luck finding Fig or Kitty?"

"We couldn't find them anywhere," Amber replied. "What about you?"

"Nothing yet," Sofia shook her head.

"What's going on around here?" Amber wondered.

"Wish I knew," Bobby Lee muttered, shaking his head.

"I WANT KITTY!" Elena screamed, having everyone near the door cover their ears. "GIVE ME KITTY!"

"If Elena doesn't have Kitty with her tonight, she won't sleep good and she'll forget our routine," Gabby said with a sigh, trying to cover her ears.

"Where was the last place you know you had Kitty?" Sofia asked.

"She was playing with Kitty in our room," Gabby remembered. "Mommy said she looked for her, but didn't find her."

"Maybe whoever took Kitty left a clue to help us find her," James suggested. "I know that's probably my spy character Andrew Harmon talking, but he's helped me out a few times."

"We all love a good mystery now and then," Sandra agreed. She and James were in Royal Prep's creative writing class, and they knew each other's story characters.

"Elena and I love James' stories! They're almost as good as Mommy's!" Gabby smiled.

"If there's one type of story I love, it's a mystery!" Bobby Lee grinned. "Come on, everyone; let's go see what we can find."

"James you think Elena and I can be with your Andrew guy?" Gabby asked with a smile, looking left and right for Kitty.

"Gabby, he uses middle names for his stories," Sofia explained with a chuckle. "Not first names."

"Maybe in a future story, he can work with a Miss Lydia and Miss Anna," Bobby Lee grinned as he searched. He loved James' stories as much as everyone in the castle, and he'd sometimes borrow one of them to read to the girls as a bedtime story.

"Sounds like a plan to me!" James grinned. "And I can use an idea similar to this mystery, and the solution!"

"And I can't wait to read it when it's written," Nell said as she and Florence came out with a somewhat calmer Elena.

"Still miss Kitty?" Gabby asked, taking Elena by the hand.

Elena only sniffed as an answer, not wanting to speak.

"She's calm but in a bit of shutdown," Nell whispered to Bobby Lee with a frown. "She's not talking much."

"Give her time," Sofia advised. "She'll talk again when she's ready."

As they walked along, Nell paused by her and Bobby Lee's bedroom door, which was wide open. "That's strange," she thought out loud. "I could have sworn that door was shut."

"Stay back, Helen," Bobby Lee cautioned. He entered the room and looked around. Nothing seemed out of place, until he looked at his bed, where he kept one of his most treasured childhood possessions. "Lamb-Lamb! I just had him on the bed this morning, and now he's gone!" he gasped. He threw a playful look toward the group, dropped to his knees, and groaned dramatically, "Lamb-Lamb! WHYYYY?"

Nell was right beside him in a heartbeat. "Oh, don't be so dramatic," she tried to sound stern, but she couldn't help but smile. "Florence probably took Lamb-Lamb to get washed...for the millionth time!"

"That's not funny," Bobby Lee looked sad now. "I've had that little lamb for as long as I can remember! Mother told me that Lamb-Lamb was the last gift my father gave me."

"I know," Nell said sympathetically. "Don't worry; we'll find him." She looked around, and her gaze fell on her jewelry box, which was also opened. Nell jumped up and ran over to it. She rooted through it, and gasped.

"You're missing something too?" Sandra asked.

"My late mother's necklace," Nell replied. "I wore it when Bobby Lee and I got married, and I keep it in a special place in my jewelry box." She sighed. "I keep it away from Elena and Gabby, and when I do wear it, for special occasions, they know not to touch it."

"What's going on here?" Zoe asked.

"That's a really good question, Princess Zoe," Florence said as she looked around the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Bobby Lee, we have company."

The sound of his wife's voice come to Bobby Lee quickly, having himself open up his eyes and try not to seem furious at getting only two hours of sleep.

"Who is it?" Bobby Lee wondered, letting out a small yawn.

"One of the girls," Nell yawned, rubbing her eyes. "I'm used to being woken up by one of them. Especially when they were babies."

"At least you survived that stage!" Bobby Lee chuckled before looking down at a frowning Gabby. "Gab gab, its late honey. Mommy and Daddy have to sleep too."

"Elena woke me up. She wanted to find Kitty," Gabby pouted. "I tell her Kitty's fine! We find Kitty later!"

"Well, you're right. Kitty will be fine and we will find her in the morning," Bobby Lee said as he walked her back to her room where he found Elena sitting up in bed and crying. His small frown at having been awakened so early softened when he saw how upset she was, and he took her in his arms. "Elena, honey, I know you miss Kitty, but we'll look for her in the morning."

"I want Kitty..." Elena sniffled.

"I know you do," Bobby Lee murmured as he sat in a rocking chair with her and started rocking. "I feel the same way about Lamb-Lamb. I love that little lamb as much as you love Kitty." He turned back to Gabby. "You go to sleep, sweetheart; I'll sit up with your sister." He heard Elena whimpering, but he started humming a soft tune he'd heard James sing once in a while. Before he knew it, he was asleep.

He woke up the next morning in the rocking chair with Elena still on his lap. She had fallen asleep soon after he started rocking, and he had fallen asleep soon after.

"I figured you were still with the girls," he heard Nell's voice from the door.

"Sorry, Helen; I meant to come back when Elena fell asleep, but I guess I fell asleep too," Bobby Lee said as he put Elena on her bed. He was happy that she didn't wake up. "Let's let her sleep, then we can see if there are any leads in these thefts."

"Good idea," Nell muttered, hearing Gabby yawn. "Well good morning sleepyhead."

"Hi Mommy," Gabby yawned, moving her arms before looking up at her step father. "Daddy why were you in Mommy's chair?"

"Mommy's chair?" Bobby Lee asked with a mocked hurt expression.

"Someone's been sleeping in my chair, and here he is now!" Nell smiled, quoting one of the girls' favorite fairy tales.

Elena and Gabby giggled as Nell and Bobby Lee helped them get dressed. Then when he and Nell had changed, they walked with the girls down to the dining hall.

They were surprised to see Sandra in the kitchen. "Princess Sandra? What are you doing here?" Nell asked, watching her work alongside Chef Andre.

"I woke up early, and couldn't go back to sleep," Sandra said as she helped crack open some eggs. "So since I know my way around the castle, and I like working in the kitchen, I thought I'd help out."

"You worried about your kitty?" Elena asked.

"Yes, but I know he'll turn up sooner or later," Sandra said as she checked a pot of water, which was starting to boil. "I also thought I'd focus on something to keep my mind off him."

"You know your way around the castle?" Bobby Lee repeated. "I'm sorry, Princess, but as you know, I'm a guard, and I'm starting to suspect people."

"That's fine, why would I steal my own cat?" Sandra asked. "And with all due respect to Elena, you know how I am about loud noises. I hated hearing her cry, but I know why she was upset. Besides, I was with you when you first saw that Kitty was missing."

"That's true, and I understand completely," Bobby Lee nodded. "Well, we're able to take one suspect off the list; you had an alibi, and people can vouch for you."

Elena and Gabby looked confused, trying to find more suspects before bumping into Florence and Bianca.

"Hi Grand Mommy!" Elena giggled, hugging Florence close. "Oops. I forgot. Don't call you that."

Bianca chuckled softly at Elena's name for Florence before looking down at the twins. "What are you two doing?"

"We're looking for sub cups Miss Bianca!" Gabby yelled, jumping up and down.

"Suspects sweetheart," Florence corrected with a smile.

"Well, it appears that someone's been paying attention to Prince James' mysteries," Bianca chuckled. "What are you suspecting someone of?"

"Kitty's gone!" Elena started to look sad again.

"So I heard," Bianca said as she hugged her, having heard Elena's meltdown last night.

"And Princess Sandra's kitty's gone too!" Gabby hugged her before her meltdown could start again.

"Lamb-Lamb too, and Mommy's necklace!" Elena finished.

"Oh, dear..." Florence looked sad. She knew how much Bobby Lee loved that little lamb; it had been a gift from his late father. "Who would do something like this?"

"We don't know yet," Gabby said. "We asked everyone if they saw the kitties, but they said no."

"Missing toys and Lydia's necklace that Edward gave her upon their first meeting? Something is definitely not right," Bianca muttered as Elena hugged her.

"Grand Mommy will you and Miss Bianca help us?" Elena asked with a smile.

"Of course I will," Florence assured her.

"We both will," Bianca agreed.

The twins hugged them close before Elena thought about Kitty again. She had to be scared being alone. Even Elena herself hated being by herself most of the time.

"Kitty!" Elena sobbed upon thinking of her beloved toy.

Zoe came up to them, having heard the voices in the hallway. She remembered giving Sandra Fig following her first fencing match. She also recalled how some of the princes had made jokes about fighting a girl, but Sandra had proved them all wrong. She remembered everything the knights had taught her, and she even did some of the dance moves she'd learned to help defeat her opponents. Zoe had been so proud, so on the way home, she and the family stopped at a store where she picked Fig out and gave it to her. Sandra loved it, as she was a cat lover, and said she'd use him as a good luck charm for all her future fencing matches.

"It's okay, Elena," she said as she gave Elena a hug, "We'll find everything."

"Zoe didn't do it neither, right, Daddy?" Gabby asked.

"No, because Zoe was helping Sandra when Elena was having that meltdown," Bobby Lee remembered.

"You can look in my stuff if you want," Zoe offered.

"I'll take you up on that offer," Bobby Lee replied as he went to her guest room. He came back a few minutes later and reported, "Zoe's luggage didn't have any kitties, lambs, or necklaces either."

Elena frowned again as Gabby reminded her that they had other toys to play with.

"But Princess Elena gave me Kitty! If she finds out that Kitty's gone, she'll be sad!" Elena pouted, before running to her and Gabby's room in tears.

"I think Princess Elena has more things to be sad about than a missing Kitty," Sofia muttered, hearing Elena cry.

"That's true," James agreed, "Besides, I don't think she even knows that Kitty's gone."

"Yes," Amber nodded, "Oh, Nell, before I forget, I looked in the Jewel Room to see if your necklace might have ended up there, but I didn't see it."

"Good thinking, Amber," Nell nodded.

"And I made sure she only looked for the necklace...we all know how Amber tends to get distracted when she looks in the Jewel Room," James couldn't resist joking.

Bobby Lee chuckled as he mussed James' hair. "Very true. But that was a good idea."

"Elena has never been this sad before. What if we can never find Kitty?" Gabby asked with a sniff.

"Aw. Honey don't say that. I'm sure that with hard work, we'll find her," Nell assured her with a smile. "We just need to ask your aunties."

Nell and the girls found Madeline and Sabrina in their room. "Madeline, Sabrina, Kitty's missing. Do you know anything about it?" Nell asked.

Sabrina shook her head. "No, I haven't seen Kitty since the day before yesterday. I know Elena was playing with her, but that's all I know."

"I remember Elena had her in the playroom last time I saw her," Madeline spoke up. "Maybe she's still there?"

"No, because I saw her carry Kitty back to her room before our guests came," Amber shook her head.

"That's right," James nodded. "Sofia and I were in our rooms getting ready, and the three of us went out together when Baileywick called us."

"So Kitty would have had to have disappeared sometime after we came," Sandra spoke up, Zoe nodding at her side. "You can cross Mom and Dad off the suspect list, too, since they came with us."

"Maybe, but didn't they have a meeting with Roland and Miranda?" Nell asked.

"But Mommy and Daddy know not to touch Fig, since they know how special he is to Sandra," Zoe replied.

"We still have to ask them," Bobby Lee told her. "But you're probably right."

As much as she would have loved to help, Gabby walked away from the group and to her and Elena's bedroom, finding Elena looking at the door.

"What are you doing?" Gabby wondered, knowing how Elena would sometimes stare into space if she was really upset.

"Want Kitty," Elena explained with a hiccup.

"I know," Gabby sighed. "But nobody can find Kitty. We're all looking everywhere and asking everyone, but nobody's seen her!"

"Why Kitty go?" Elena sniffled.

"That's a good question," Nell said as she hugged her. "But I promise you, we are going to find her, and all our missing treasures."

"We just heard about the thefts," Roland said as he and Miranda approached. "Is there anything we can do for you?"

"Find Kitty," Elena hiccupped.

"We'll certainly try, sweetheart," Miranda said as she hugged her.

"Yes we will," Roland agreed.

"Kitty mad at me?" Elena asked with a sniff.

Roland was about to say that stuffed toys didn't know emotions of any kind before Miranda hushed him, knowing that with her autism, Elena had a huge imagination and high creativity level.

"No. Not at all Love Bug. Kitty loves you very much," Nell assured Elena as she took her in her arms.

"Maybe she and Fig ran off to play together," Bobby Lee jokingly suggested.

"And if that's the case, I'll help take care of any kittens that might come of their little rendezvous," Sandra joked back.

"Are you two sure you should be talking about such things in front of little girls?" Florence frowned, motioning toward Elena and Gabby.

"This coming from someone who always asks for grandchildren when little girls are in the same room as us," Bobby Lee smirked.

"Robert!" Nell scolded, but she couldn't help but smile.

"Did someone call me?" Zoe and Sandra's father came out, with Queen Patricia at his side.

"Dad, you and Mom haven't seen Fig around, have you?" Sandra asked.

"No; isn't he in your bag with your fencing gear?" Patricia asked.

"No. The last time I saw him was when I put my fencing outfit in my bag after the awards were given at the match. He was in there when we came here, but he's gone now!" Sandra replied.

"Some other mementos of ours are missing as well, your majesty," Bobby Lee added, and he told Robert and Patricia about Kitty, Lamb-Lamb, and Nell's necklace.

"Kitty now?" Elena asked, trying her best not to pout.

"Honey, I think it's time to use your feelings puzzle," Nell suggested, stroking Elena's hair.

"Why?" Elena asked in confusion.

"You're starting to get upset, and you know it always helps you," Nell replied.

"I can get it for you," Zoe offered.

"Thank you, Princess Zoe," Nell smiled. "It's on her bed. It's a little girl doll with red curly hair."

"Like Shirley Temple?" Zoe asked, remembering that one of the maids at Orillia Castle loved that actress.

"Exactly," Nell smiled. "Only this doll doesn't have a face on it. It has a little bag of faces Elena uses to describe how she's feeling."

"Okay," Zoe nodded, and went to get it. She soon came back, and she was biting her lip. "Elena, you might want to sit down..."

"Don't tell me..." Nell groaned as she entered the room. She looked at the bed, and her worst fears were confirmed. Elena's feelings puzzle, and the bag of faces, were both gone.

"This is not good..." Bobby Lee muttered.

"Is there something else Elena can use?" Sandra asked.

Elena's eyes began to water as she looked up at Bobby Lee and Nell in fear.

"Mommy, Daddy, I don't want you gone too!" Elena sobbed, starting to tremble in worry. "Everything is just scary now and I don't want-"

"I'm scared too!" Gabby interrupted, burying her face in her hands.

"Don't worry, girls; we'll get to the bottom of this," Bobby Lee said as he pulled them into a hug.

"We'll have to post guards outside everyone's doors," Nell suggested.

"Or we could set a trap using something as bait," James added.

"Bait? Like fishy?" Elena asked in confusion, remembering how she and Gabby went fishing with Bobby Lee a year before he became their daddy.

"Kind of like fishy honey," Bobby Lee assured her with a chuckle.

"We'll explain later, dear. Now, Prince James, what do you want to use to catch this person?" Bianca asked.

James looked around, and Roland saw that he was trying not to tear up. "Well, there is something I can use. It fits the description of everything that was stolen: small, and it has sentimental value to someone..."

"Wait a minute...James, what are you saying?" Amber asked.

"I'll be right back," James took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and went to his room.

"Daddy, what's James doing?" Amber asked. She soon got her answer, because James came back a few minutes later with a plush dog, and tears in his eyes. "James...you're using Little Rex?" She almost started crying herself when she saw the plush dog her and James' mother had given James a year after he got his dog Rex. She knew how much James had loved his dog, but after he bit Gabby, Rex had to be sent away. It was true that James had gotten a new dog, Jagger, but he still kept Little Rex as a memento of his first dog.

Roland helped James put the dog in a spot where the thief would be sure to see him. "It's going to be all right, James," he said as he pulled him into a hug. "We might catch this person when they come for Little Rex."

"Don't be sad, James," Elena said as she and Gabby hugged him.

"We'll keep a close eye on him," Bobby Lee promised as Bianca patted his back.

"Maybe we can set a um trap!" Gabby suggested with a giggle. "Elena and I gots jumpy ropes that Mommy gave us for our birthday and the bad guy will fall down!"

Amber smiled at the idea, patting Gabby on the head before turning to Roland.

"Daddy can us kids solve this mystery?" Amber wondered as she glanced at Elena and Gabby. "They were too little for our other ones but now that they're older, they can help us."

"Of course, as long as they're careful and we all keep an eye on them," Roland agreed.

"It might help to have extra people looking around," Robert added.

"And I've been reading James' stories to Elena and Gabby, so they know about looking for clues, coming up with plans, and solving problems," Bobby Lee glanced at the girls, who jumped up and down in excitement.

"We solve a mystery?" Gabby asked.

"We get Kitty back?" Elena added.

"We'll see, girls," Bobby Lee smiled.

The girls jumped up and down in excitement again as Nell gently smirked at Bianca.

"And you said that Helen giving them jump ropes wouldn't be a use to Elena or Gabby!" Florence chuckled with a smile.

Bianca blushed, chuckling a little herself. "Maybe I was being a little concerned for their safety at the time."

"How's that phrase go again, live and learn?" Nell grinned.

"James, you want to help us set up the jump ropes?" Sofia asked, thinking that James might need something to do to keep from worrying about Little Rex.

"Sure," James nodded. He turned to Roland, "You'll keep an eye on Little Rex, right?"

"Of course I will," Roland assured him. "You go help set the trap, and we'll watch for the thief."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

James took a deep breath as he set Little Rex out in the open, where he hoped the person responsible for the thefts would be sure to find him. He hoped they would catch the person quickly. He didn't want to put Little Rex in any more danger than he had to be in. He quickly knelt down at Little Rex's side, and though he knew the toy couldn't respond, like Elena often said, he murmured, "Don't worry, Little Rex. Hopefully we'll get this person before they can get you."

He came back to the others, and Roland gave him a hug. "It's going to be all right, James," he assured him. "We'll watch for this person, and when they try to take Little Rex, we'll get them."

"Okay…" James nodded. He looked like he might want something to do with his hands, so he went over to Elena and Gabby, who were tying their jump ropes across doorways so the person taking everything would trip over them.

"Don't be sad, James," Gabby said as she hugged him.

"You want a song?" Elena asked. "Gabby, you sing too!"

Gabby smiled as they sang, "You and me together will be. Forever you'll see."

James smiled softly as he joined in, "We two can be good company, you and me, just wait and see."

"Music makes everything all better, right?" Elena asked.

"So I've heard," James smiled.

"No. We heard!" Gabby giggled, not before frowning as she saw Elena struggling with her knot. "Help?"

"Yes. I might be good at art and be some big word that Mommy and Daddy say to grown ups because of it but not with knots," Elena muttered, sighing as her knot untied itself.

"Let me get that," James suggested as he helped tie the ropes across the doorway to trip the one they wanted to catch.

Suddenly, the group heard a voice behind them. "That's very sweet, girls; now I'll be taking that dog!"

"Get over here!" Bobby Lee yelled as he ran at him, sword drawn.

"I'll help too!" Sandra shouted, whipping out her fencing foil.

"Thanks, Princess!" Bobby Lee smiled.

"Orillia's knights trained me well," Sandra grinned as they ran after him.

Suddenly, the hooded figure aimed a wand at them and chanted a spell. The air was filled with such a loud noise that Sandra dropped her fencing foil and curled up in a ball with her hands over her ears.

"Princess Sandra!" Bobby Lee shouted, kneeling at her side.

"Make it stop!" Sandra cried out in pain as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Thank you for the distraction, milady!" the figure taunted as he grabbed Little Rex and ran off.

"I'm sorry, James," Sandra groaned when she was able to open her eyes again.

"It's not your fault," Roland assured her

"That's right," Robert agreed, "You've always been so sensitive to smells and loud noises. But we will get the dog back."

"And look; we can follow the person," Bianca smiled, pointing at the ground. A trail of flour-coated footprints led away from them. "I've read a few of Prince James' mysteries myself, and I've picked up a few things."

"Bianca you read his mysteries?" Nell asked in surprise, not expecting that to come out of the friend of her late mother's mouth. "For the eighteen years I've known you, you said and I quote 'I would never read something that was filled with childishness and nonsense' when I was six and a half."

"You mean for that writing contest in first grade?" Bobby Lee recalled with a nostalgic smile. "I thought your knight was great Helen."

Helen blushed as her daughters giggled before turning to the group. "Thank you Bobby Lee but Bianca what convinced you to read James' work?"

"I was in the sitting room and I saw one of his folders on the table," Bianca started, "I didn't know what it was until I started reading it. The story involved a girl's search for her missing doll. She hired a prince and princess of a neighboring kingdom to help her. They were the royal spy duo of Andrew Harmon and Julie Melody. They discovered that an evil wizard had stolen the doll and hidden it, since it had magical powers he wanted to steal for himself."

"And how did they find the person who stole the doll?" Nell asked.

"Andrew, Julie, and the princess followed the wizard to his lair," Bianca remembered, "They waited until he left to gather some ingredients for a potion he was working on, and sneaked inside. They opened his cabinet, found the doll, and ran off with it."

"That was based on a real event," James remembered, "Amber thought she lost her favorite doll, and she and I hunted all over her room for it. It turned out that it was just in a different part of her closet than where she normally put it."

"We've all done that sort of thing before," Nell agreed.

"Feet prints! Go! Go!" Elena and Gabby yelled together before running off in search of the thief.

Nell hesitated, knowing that they would get into serious danger if their thief were to catch them. She was just lucky that Elena wasn't near the noise from earlier.

"You want me to go with them, Nell?" Sandra asked. "I want to make it up for before."

"I'm coming too," James spoke up.

"So are we," Sofia agreed, Amber nodding at her side.

"I'll help you too," Zoe added.

"We'll be right behind you, but all of you be careful," Roland said as the group ran out.

"It was wise to cover the floor with that flour, Bianca," Miranda said when they were alone.

"I had a hunch," Bianca admitted. "I read in one of Prince James' stories that his characters did something like that, and they followed the villain's trail right to his lair."

Nell smiled, chuckling at the words coming from Bianca's mouth. "This is coming from someone who never allowed me or Bobby Lee to make any kinds of mess as children without facing the consequences of a bath."

"I guess I've softened over the years," Bianca confessed with a smile. "Your daughters kind of helped in a way Helen Genevieve."

"Curse my bad influence?" Nell smiled innocently.

At the same time, James was helping to set up Elena and Gabby's jump rope trap. He was entertaining the girls with some of his Andrew Harmon stories as he worked, switching some names for "Miss Lydia" or "Miss Anna".

"You'll have to write a story with them in it," Zoe suggested.

"That's the plan," James agreed.

"Pictures too?" Elena asked with a smile.

"She wants to draw for you, James," Gabby said, patting Elena on the shoulder.

"Why not?" James grinned. "Amber's done pictures for my stories before, but there's no reason why you can't help me with the pictures for this story and give her a break!"

At the same time, Sandra, who had been looking down the different corridors, spotted something in the middle of a doorway. "What's this?"

Sofia picked it up. "It's our first clue to finding the missing items!"

"Good job, Sandra!" Zoe cheered.

"Just thought I'd make it up for losing Little Rex," Sandra smiled.

"Don't worry," James smiled back, "I know it was an accident. But this is a brilliant find!"

"There's only one person I know who uses something like this," Amber agreed, "Let's go have a talk with him."

"Who?" Gabby wondered in surprise.

"Mr. Magic man!" Elena guessed with a giggle.

"Mr. Magic Man...Oh! You mean Mr. Cedric?" Sofia asked.

"Yeah!" Elena nodded.

"Why would he do this?" Zoe asked.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Sandra started. "Let's do what Amber said and ask him."

Elena and Gabby ran ahead of the group, a bit shocked that Cedric would take advantage of them.

And if he was to hurt Kitty, Elena would hurt him back.

Gabby saw the look on her sister's face. "He won't hurt Kitty, Elena."

"You don't know that!" Elena frowned.

"I'm just as worried about Fig, Elena, but we'll get to the bottom of this," Sandra agreed.

"You sure?" Elena asked.

"Well, here we are at his door," Sofia said as they stopped at Cedric's door. "Let's ask him what he knows about this."

"Open up! Mr. Magic man!" Elena yelled as she started kicking the door. "Kitty! Mommy's coming!"

"She's rather what Mommy is with us over Kitty," Gabby explained with a sheepish grin.

"Ow! Dear child watch your footing!" Cedric groaned upon opening the door to his workshop.

Elena ran right in when Cedric opened his door. "Kitty! Where are you?"

"Would someone kindly tell me what is going on?" Cedric asked, trying to block Elena from his potion cabinet.

"Mr. Cedric, you might want to sit down," Sofia started. When Cedric was seated, she told him about everything that had happened, from Elena learning that Kitty was missing to up until this moment.

"And you think that I had something to do with these thefts?" Cedric asked as Amber drew Elena away before she could attack Cedric again.

"That's what we were thinking," Sofia admitted. "But we know you're innocent until proven guilty."

Cedric frowned. "I should say so," However, he turned to a side table and picked up a stray piece of parchment. "I had nothing to do with this, but I did find this a short time after I learned that Miss Elena's feelings puzzle was reported missing."

"What is it?" Gabby asked.

"It's a coded message," Cedric explained. "I can't for the life of me figure out what it says, and I've run it through all my books trying to discover what it means."

"Coded message?" Sandra repeated. "Say no more, Mr. Cedric! If there's anything I love as much as cats and fencing, it's a coded message!"

"That's for sure," James agreed; he and Sandra were often paired up at school for code games (which of course they always won!), and they were teaching Sofia, Zoe, and Amber how to solve codes as well.

"Well, two fresh pairs of eyes would certainly help," Cedric agreed. "I'll let you and your friends figure it out, then you can come back and tell me what you discovered."

Everyone agreed, and when Cedric closed his door again, he smiled. "It won't be long now..."

"Long for what Mr. Magic man?" Elena wondered, crossing her arms. "I played hide and seek when everyone else went bye bye."

"And you will join them," Cedric muttered, pushing her towards the door.

When Elena had gone out, Cedric looked around, just to make certain that he and Wormwood were the only ones in the room. When he was sure the coast was clear, he waved his wand and produced a large bag. "We put our plan in motion tonight, Wormy."

Wormwood nodded beside him. Even he was curious about what Cedric was planning. Why would he need these things that meant so much to so many people? "Do you think you'll be able to pull it off? And why are you keeping me in the dark about this?"

Cedric nodded. "I should be able to pull it off. I just have to make sure nobody sees us. Miss Elena did hear me say that it wouldn't be long, but at least she didn't see what I'm doing."

"But what if someone comes up and asks what you're doing?" Wormwood pressed.

"We'll just have to see what happens," Cedric replied as he took the bag up again. "Now, Wormy, I'm going to let you in on a little secret about the contents of this bag..."

"That it's full of old junk with the oldest being Miss Helen's necklace?" Wormwood guessed with a sigh. "You gave up on taking over the kingdom because of your friendship with Princess Sofia and may I remind you the family is slowly starting to trust you again."

Cedric rolled his eyes in annoyance. "While that is true and I know that Sofia will be disappointed in me but something is a miss."

"With four stuffed animals and a necklace? How incredibly charming!" Wormwood laughed with a wave of his wing.

"You don't have to be part of this if you don't want to, Wormy, but if I see you spilling the beans to anyone about my plans, I know that Prince James' dog does like to chase the occasional bird," Cedric frowned.

Wormwood gasped. He knew Jagger liked playing with the animals around the castle, and he knew not to harm any of them, but he still tried to stay away from him. While he thought it was admirable that he had helped comfort James and Gabby following Gabby's rescue from the winged horse, and that he was trained as a therapy dog, Wormwood still didn't trust him. "All right; mum's the word," he agreed. "Now, what do you have in mind?"

"You remember that Miss Elena loves animals and how Miss Helen is scared of birds of all kind from a childhood incident," Cedric reminded him as the raven nodded.

"Geese aren't actually intelligent when it comes to birds," Wormwood muttered with a laugh. "And knowing Miss Elena, she'll probably hug me to death."

"Indeed," Cedric nodded. "Now, shall we begin?"

"All right," Wormwood gave in. "But, I do have another question: should we at least have told King Roland about this when you first started this little project of yours? If he comes up here demanding answers..."

"Then we'll give them to him," Cedric assured him. "True, he won't like all this secrecy, but he'll know it was for a good reason this time. And we both know he was quite the prankster when he was younger."

"Don't remind me..." Wormwood muttered, recalling how young Roland had once lured him into a suit of armor and told Tilly that it was haunted. "But before we begin, shouldn't we at least put a protective spell on the room so we're not affected by what's written on that paper? You do recall what happened at Princess Sofia's debut ball, don't you?"

"You're right," Cedric agreed. He raised his wand and cast a few protective spells around the room. When he saw them taking effect, he nodded. "There we go, Wormy. These will be in effect for the rest of the day. We'll be safe from the spell when it's cast."

"And the children?" Wormwood wondered with a smirk.

"Hopefully it doesn't harm them," Cedric muttered that if anything were to happen to their children, the mothers would be furious.

As Cedric and Wormwood were making plans, everyone had gathered in the sitting room to see what the children had discovered.

"Cedric doesn't know about the thefts either?" Roland repeated. "I was certain he'd be behind them."

"Innocent until proven guilty, your majesty," Bianca replied. "But I had my doubts about Cedric as well."

"That's right," Bobby Lee added. "We know he's been up in his tower for the past few days working on potions and whatever he does to help Sofia learn spells, but he said he didn't have anything to do with everything going missing."

"There's still one thing that bothers me about this," Nell spoke up. "That loud noise that bothered Sandra, followed by that puff of purple smoke. Sofia said she's seen that in his workshop during their lessons."

"That's true," Sofia agreed. "I asked him about it, and he said he ran out of the potion that made the smoke a few days ago."

"Maybe he's lying Mommy," Elena said, remembering a bag Cedric had with him. "His voice was lying."

"Elena, sweetheart, that's actually a good observation!" Bobby Lee chuckled, hugging her close.

Meanwhile, James and Sandra were poring over the parchment Cedric had given them. "Okay," James murmured, "let's see what we've got here..."

"It looks like there are a lot of symbols on here," Sandra pointed to the random designs. "It could be like alphanumeric code."

"Like the alphabet?" Gabby looked up. She and Elena smiled as they started singing, "A-B-C-D-E-F-G! H-I-J-K-LMNOP! Q-R-S-T-U-V! W-X-Y and Z! Now I know my ABC's! Next time won't you sing with me!"

"That's right, girls," Nell smiled.

"Okay...here's the most common symbol...of course that's 'E,'" James pointed at a symbol.

"How do you know that?" Sabrina asked.

"Because E is the most commonly used letter," Sandra explained. Then through process of elimination, she and James were able to crack the code.

"What did you two codebreakers find?" Bianca asked.

"A very weird message," Sandra replied.

"What is it?" Bobby Lee asked.

James frowned as he picked the paper up. "'All questions will be answered soon. In the meantime, take a load off your mind...Somnibus populae caella..."

The spell took effect immediately as everyone in the room fell asleep. From where he was watching through his crystal ball, Cedric smirked. Everything was going according to plan. He nodded to Wormwood, and the two of them left the tower.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Cedric smirked as he entered the sitting room. He had a new scroll in his hand. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the bag of faces from Elena's feelings puzzle. He paused next to Sofia, then took two eyes and a smiling mouth from the bag. He put them on the back of the scroll and put it next to her.

"You'll never see this coming, but I'll explain myself soon enough," he said softly as he kissed her forehead. "Sleep well, my dear. But only until I'm back in my tower."

Wormwood rolled his eyes at such a syrupy display of affection, but he didn't say anything, since he really didn't want to play with Jagger. But he was at least grateful that the Irish Red and White Setter was smarter than James' first dog Rex. He'd heard Clover say once that Rex was as dumb as a box of rocks, and he'd rebuked him for it, saying that was an insult to rocks.

Once they were back in the tower, Cedric gazed into his crystal ball. He aimed his wand at the group in the sitting room and recited, "Populae Caella Exitatte!" When he saw everyone stirring and waking up, he smiled. "Now, Wormy, we wait."

"Nap nap time?" Elena muttered with a rub as her eyes as Gabby woke up beside her.

"Very long nap nap time," Gabby muttered, rubbing her eyes. She glanced towards her mother and stepfather who slept on each other's shoulder. "Must be their nap nap time too."

"James...that was a sleeping spell..." Amber groaned as she woke up.

"You don't say," James muttered.

"Guys, fight later, look at this first," Sofia said as she picked up the scroll.

"What is it?" Bobby Lee asked.

"I don't know, but it has the happy face from Elena's feelings puzzle on it," Nell said as she picked it up.

"That means the feelings puzzle can't be too far away, right?" Sabrina asked.

"That's right," James agreed; he'd also let Madeline and Sabrina read his mystery stories.

"You make a Andrew story about this?" Gabby asked.

"That's not a bad idea, Gabby," James grinned, "But I'll need you and Elena to help me write it."

Nell and Bobby Lee laughed at this before wiping tears from each other's eyes as Bianca gave them a scolding glare.

"We're sorry James!" Nell apologized, really trying to hold back her laughter. "But the girls only know how to write their first and middle names!"

"But that doesn't mean that they can't help with ideas," Bobby Lee muttered, calming down himself and his wife.

"Guys, it's another code," Sandra said as she read the scroll.

"Hopefully it's not another sleeping spell," Roland spoke up.

"No...it's a list of directions," Sandra said as she started writing on another piece of parchment she'd found.

"'To find what you seek, you'll find riddles and puzzles around the castle,'" Sofia read. "'Leave the sitting room to find your first clue.'"

"It's a treasure hunt!" Gabby squealed.

"Maybe, Gab-Gab, but we'll just have to see what this is all about," Bobby Lee agreed.

"Maybe Kitty's the first clue!" Elena guessed as Nell took her in her arms. "Why Mommy's hair a bush?"

"Anna hair!" Sabrina and Madeline chuckled with smiles on their faces.

"Very funny you two but I must warn you we O'Malleys get the same bed hair eventually," Nell warned with a smile.

"That's a scary thought!" Bobby Lee chuckled.

"Robert, be nice," Florence smirked.

"Which one? There are two Roberts here!" Bobby Lee grinned, looking over at Zoe and Sandra's father.

"The Robert that's my little boy!" Florence laughed, messing up his hair.

"Mother! Not in front of my wife!" Bobby Lee whined, feeling embarrassed. "And everyone else!"

"If you and Helen Genevieve ever have a son Robert Lee, he'll probably feel the same way!" Bianca chuckled as Gabby began to run out of the room, determined and (secretly hoping) that their first clue would be Kitty.

Zoe and Sandra caught up with Gabby when she ran out of the room. They didn't find Kitty, to Gabby's frustration, but they did find another scroll.

"'Go to the castle gymnasium and watch two talented fencers in action,'" Sandra read the instructions. "'The winner will receive the next scroll.'"

"Well, Princess, I believe I said I wanted to see you in action," Bobby Lee smiled.

'Okay, no problem; just pretend Fig's with me,' Sandra thought. "Okay, let's do it."

"Well this'll be interesting. My husband fencing with royalty!" Nell chuckled as Gabby tugged on her dress.

"Mommy, Daddy's going to be careful right?" Gabby wondered in concern.

"Sure he is, Gabby, and don't worry; I'll make sure your dad comes back to you in one piece!" Sandra joked.

At the same time, Bobby Lee was joking, "Don't worry, King Robert; I'll go easy on her! I might even let her win!"

"Don't do that, but both of you just be careful," Bianca advised as they entered the castle gym.

"We will. Don't worry," Bobby Lee promised before turning to Florence with a smile. "Mother lay low on the cheering."

"And what? Keep you from winning?" Florence joked, giving him a good luck hug. "I'm proud of you baby. Six years ago I had to clean up your cuts because of your training and mistakes. You weren't perfect but you practiced until you got it right."

"Sandra, we know you'll do your best," Patricia was saying, "I remember I'd watch you pretending to practice sword fighting alongside the knights. You only tripped once, but that was because you were distracted by that ogre who was attempting to attack the kingdom."

"But she defeated him at his own game," Robert smiled, "The knights decided right then and there to teach her fencing. And since she couldn't continue on with Enchanted Gardening, she joined the Weapons Proficiency class. Some of the princes didn't think she was up to the challenge, but she proved them wrong."

"Just like Elena!" Elena said from where she was listening. She recalled how Princess Elena had entered a fencing competition and won, and also avenged her mother.

"I heard about that," Sandra agreed. "I don't think I'm up to Leaping Stag standards, but I think I'm an okay fencer otherwise."

"And now we'll get to see you in action," Bobby Lee said as they made their way to the middle of the gym.

"Go Daddy!" Gabby giggled as Nell sat her near her shoulders so she could see.

"Go Sandra!" Zoe cheered as Elena was undecided on who to cheer on.

Sandra was nervous at first. She was only used to fencing alongside either fellow students in class or the knights at home. She'd never dueled against a royal guard. But, she wouldn't back down from this challenge. She got into position as she thought, 'Okay, it's just like when I practice with the knights. It's no big deal. Just pretend I'm dueling against one of them, or I'm in Weapons Proficiency class. But most importantly, do it for Fig.'

'This one's for you, Lamb-Lamb,' Bobby Lee thought as he got into position.

Roland acted as the referee. "As you both know, the first person who taps their opponent three times wins the match. En garde...begin!"

Bobby Lee never thought that he would be fighting a child but for his beloved lamb he had no choice.

He thought of Elena and Gabby for a moment, smiling softly before getting in the right angle.

Everyone watched as Bobby Lee and Sandra dueled. Bobby Lee was older, but Sandra was quicker, thanks to her fencing lessons, and paying attention in dance class helped.

A few minutes into the match, they were tied. As he got a quick cup of water, Bobby Lee couldn't help but smile. Sandra was good, and he should have known better than to underestimate her.

From where she was watching him with her own cup of water, Sandra nodded. Bobby Lee was as good as the knights. She'd have to talk to her dad about having him and his family visit Orillia so he could participate in an exhibition with them.

They returned to the middle of the gym. It was all down to this. One more point, and the next clue would be theirs.

"Mommy fence too?" Elena asked with a smile, tugging on Nell's dress.

Nell chuckled, hugging her close. "Elena, maybe one day sweetie."

They looked up in time to see the tip of Bobby Lee's sword come down on Sandra's shoulder. "Robert wins!" Roland announced.

"Good match, Princess," Bobby Lee smiled, but he still thought, 'Okay, now that we fenced and I won, where's Lamb-Lamb?'

"Good match," Sandra agreed, but she couldn't help but think, 'Not bad for my first match without Fig, but where's my kitty friend?'

They were just shaking hands when a large cloud of smoke filled the room. Bobby Lee shielded Sandra while Nell held Elena and Gabby. Bianca and Florence held Madeline and Sabrina while Roland and Miranda held James, Sofia, and Amber.

When the smoke cleared, the group found another scroll.

"What's it say?" Elena asked as she picked up the scroll.

"We can't read," Gabby added as Sandra came between them.

"'For your next clue, go to someone's favorite room. And let's hope they stay on task,'" Sandra read after she solved the puzzle.

"We all have favorite rooms in here," Sofia reasoned, "One of my favorite rooms is Mr. Cedric's workshop."

"That's true, but it says 'hope they stay on task,'" Bianca reminded her. "Why would someone have to stay on task if they're in their favorite room?"

"Remember what I said about Amber in the Jewel Room?" James asked. "Maybe a clue is in there."

"I think you're right," Roland agreed. "Perhaps the person who stole all of your things overheard us and left a clue in there."

"And no Elena I don't think it's the drawing room," Nell said, taking Elena's hand.

She knew that Elena loved to draw often in that room and if she was really focused on a drawing, it would take about three times before she would talk back.

"We could try both places just to be sure," Miranda suggested, "Some of us could go into the drawing room, while some of us could go to the Jewel Room."

"I call the Jewel Room!" Amber called as she went to her favorite room in the kingdom.

"We'll go with her!" James assured Miranda, Sofia nodding at his side.

"I like drawing!" Elena giggled as she ran off.

"I'll get her, and we'll see if there's anything. I doubt it, but it can't hurt," Nell said as she followed her.

"I go with Mommy!" Gabby decided with a giggle, running after her.

"What about the rest of us?" Sabrina wondered in confusion.

"Elena!" Madeline decided, joining her niece.

"Go where you think you can help out, I guess," Bobby Lee said as he followed Nell and Gabby.

Sofia, James, Zoe, Bianca, Florence, and Miranda went with Amber to the Jewel Room while Madeline, Sabrina, Roland, and Sandra followed Nell and Elena to the drawing room.

In the Jewel Room, Amber started singing, "Heaven, I'm in heaven! And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak!"

She was brought back to reality when she heard Florence and Bianca join her, "And I seem to find the happiness I seek...When we're out together dancing cheek to cheek!"

"I love this room!" Amber grinned as she gazed at the pins, rings, necklaces, and bracelets.

"Yes, dear, we know," Bianca chuckled. "But we're only looking for one piece of jewelry: Helen's necklace."

"All right," Amber agreed, "I can always come back here later. But for now, what does the necklace look like?"

"Bianca, you knew Lydia longer than I did!" Florence recalled with a chuckle. "Surely you know!"

"Was it full of anything sparkling?" Amber wondered with a smile.

"No, Princess Amber, it was just an antique heart shaped locket that contained Edward and Lydia's pictures," Bianca replied, smiling as she remembered that Nell had always loved that necklace. "Helen would only wear it for special occasions."

Amber scanned the room, and her attention was drawn to one of the cases. "I think I found it!" she said as she discovered a locket that looked like what Bianca had described. However, when she opened the case and took it out, it disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Oh!" she cried out, jumping back.

"Are you okay?" Zoe asked.

"I'm fine, but the necklace is gone!" Amber gasped.

"Are you sure it wasn't made of leprechaun gold, Bianca?" James joked.

Bianca mussed his hair. "No, Prince James," she chuckled, "It was made of brass."

"Well, we may have lost the necklace again, but we found another clue," Florence said as she picked up a piece of paper. "We may as well take it back to the others."

"I'm guessing that you guys found the next clue?" Nell guessed with a laugh as they arrived to the drawing room.

"Nearly scared out of my mind? Yes," Amber answered with a dramatic pose.

"You guys have any luck?" James asked.

"Not yet, but it's actually a good thing that we're in the drawing room," Nell grinned. "I read the note we found, and it literally wants Elena to draw Kitty!"

"I told you, Mommy!" Elena giggled.

"And Sandra has to draw Fig?" Bianca asked, seeing Sandra sketch her missing cat.

"That's right," Sandra agreed, "And now I'm extra glad I paid attention in art class!"

"James, you might want to get in on this as well and draw Little Rex," Sofia suggested.

"Good idea, Sof," James agreed as he took up a piece of paper and a pencil.

"Can we draw Elena's feelings puzzle?" Gabby asked.

"It can't hurt," Bobby Lee said as he gave her another sheet of paper and a pencil.

Though Gabby wasn't as great in detail as her sister who hummed softly as she drew, the younger twin tried her best.

"Like this, Elena?" she asked a few moments later.

Elena looked up at her sister's work. She smiled when she saw the familiar shape of her feelings puzzle. She was even more surprised that Gabby had given the doll a happy face.

Nell looked up from where she was sketching her necklace. "That looks wonderful, Gabby! And it was so sweet of you to give the doll a happy face."

"Okay, now what do we do?" Sandra asked, putting her pencil down.

"It says, 'Once you have demonstrated your artistic talent, lay the finished papers on the floor and stand back,'" Roland read the message.

James, Gabby, Nell, Elena, and Sandra nodded in agreement, put their finished drawings on the floor, and stood back.

They got back just in time, for like it had done following Bobby Lee and Sandra's fencing match, a large purple cloud filled the room.

When it cleared, the drawings were gone, but there was a scroll on the ground.

"Another? I want Kitty!" Elena pouted with crossed arms. "Kitty now!"

"Elena, sweetheart, be patient," Nell warned softly, seeing her about to turn red.

"KITTY!" Elena screamed, wanting to tear the scroll apart before Gabby held her back.

"Elena, this is like a game, remember? Games are fun!" she tried to calm her down.

Sofia quickly grabbed a piece of paper and recreated Elena's feelings puzzle, and her drawing of Kitty. "Elena, look! I made Kitty for you again!"

"Kitty!" Elena cheered.

Sandra winced, since Elena was sitting next to her and had shouted in her ear, and read with Nell, "Your final clue to this mystery awaits you behind the castle."

"Finally, we're going to get some answers," Miranda sighed.

"Indeed we are," Roland agreed. "Let's go see what we have to do now."

"And hopefully we all can move on from this!" Zoe chuckled, gently taking Elena's recreated drawing of Kitty away.

"Mine!" Elena growled, taking the paper back.

"Elena, she just wants to look at it," Sandra assured her, "Unlike me, you're a really good artist."

"Don't say that, Princess," Bianca smiled, "I saw your drawing of your missing cat, and it was quite good."

"'Your final clue to this mystery awaits you behind the castle,'" Amber read again, "Well, let's go see if we can solve this at last."

As everyone agreed, Cedric was watching them in his crystal ball. "It's almost time, Wormy."

"If it wasn't for Miss Elena, they would've solved it already!" Wormwood grumbled, never one to understand children.

"Well she can be a bit stubborn sometimes," Cedric admitted as he knew of her autism thanks to Sofia.

Wormwood sighed. Like Sandra, he was sensitive to loud noises. And it didn't help that the crystal ball magnified every sound so he could hear Elena's shouts as if she was standing right next to him.

Cedric nodded as he looked out the window. Everything was going according to plan. "All they have to do is solve this final puzzle, and then they'll discover what all the secrecy is about."

"Love bug, we're almost done. Just this last clue," Nell promised as she patted Elena's back. "I know that you want Kitty and you're grumpy about this but after this you can take a long nap."

"Like forever?" Elena wondered in confusion.

"No, not forever," Patricia assured her, "I'm just as curious about this as you are, sweetheart, but Robert...my husband Robert, not your daddy; and Sandra are always telling me and Zoe that good things come to those who wait."

"Here it is," Roland said as he picked up the last paper, "'Congratulations! You have almost solved the mystery. Go behind the castle and find your surprise.'"

"Finally, we're getting somewhere," Robert said as the group went out. "I enjoy a good mystery as much as the next person, but this is a little extreme, don't you think?"

"I wouldn't say that, your majesty," Nell smiled, "I admit that I was confused about all this at first, but after everything that's been going on, it is kind of fun!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Kitty! Kitty! Kitty!" Elena yelled, clapping her hands as Sabrina glanced at her sister.

"If it wasn't for Princess Elena giving her Kitty, I would burn her if I had the chance!" Sabrina grumbled, sick of Elena yelling.

"Don't let Sandra hear you say that!" Zoe warned, motioning toward her sister, who was decoding the message with James.

"Go out the door and enter the back of the castle. You'll find a magical surprise there," Sandra read the message.

"Here's another message," James said as he decoded it, "'I hope all of you enjoyed my mystery. It's not every day I get to help a talented writer get inspiration.'"

"What does that mean?" Nell asked.

"Someone must have heard us talking about James' stories," Bobby Lee guessed.

"Mag it coal. Could it be Mr. Magic man?" Gabby guessed with a smile.

Bobby Lee chuckled, messing up her hair. "I don't think Cedric could have done something like this! Besides when was the last time I've seen him with you two?"

"He's gotten a lot better, Bobby Lee," Sofia defended her friend, "And I remember all that purple smoke whenever the scrolls appeared. That was from one of his potions."

"But the question remains, why would Cedric do something like this?" Bianca asked.

"For fun?" Zoe suggested, looking around at Sandra, Patricia, and Robert. "We don't often come here, so maybe he wanted to do something special."

"That's a good point," Sandra said from where she was finishing up the code, "Sometimes our own Royal Sorceress sets up some kind of magical game for everyone in the castle."

She held up the completed code, and Roland read with her, "You'll find your missing treasures in plain sight if you look carefully."

"Why we still here? Let's go!" Elena tugged on Nell's hand, practically dragging her out the door.

"You heard her; let's go!" Nell chuckled as everyone followed them.

"Kitty! Kitty!" Elena giggled, wanting to find her friend as soon as possible.

"Elena, slow down!" Gabby yelled, taking her sister by the collar of her dress.

"Want Kitty!" Elena pouted, frowning at Gabby pulling her.

"Girls, we'll find Kitty out here," Nell broke them up. "Like the note said, look carefully."

"Girls, Helen, look at this," Bobby Lee cut in.

Everyone looked up in amazement. The back of the castle had been decorated with copies of Nell's necklace, which had been draped over bushes and trees. Copies of Fig, Kitty, Lamb-Lamb, Little Rex, and Elena's feelings puzzle were used as centerpieces for the tables.

"Kitty!" Elena cheered, going over to a table.

"Hold on, sweetheart; which one's the real Kitty?" Bianca asked.

Being a three year old, Elena didn't understand what she meant, going to hug the table, only for the copy of Kitty to go away and for her to fall on her knees.

She stood up, becoming scared as she saw blood going down her knees.

"Mama!" Elena started crying as Nell ran up to her.

"I've got her," Bobby Lee said as he followed her. He washed the blood away, bandaged Elena up, and covered her face with kisses.

Suddenly, another note appeared. Roland picked it up and read, "If the little one is all right, here's your next clue. You already saw how the trick worked. Each table has your missing items on them. However, only one table has the real items on them, while others have copies that disappear when someone touches them, and reappear when the person lets go or drops them."

"Now he tells us," James joked.

"I wish he said it before I got boo boos!" Elena pouted, trying to play with one of the bandages before Nell pushed her hand away.

"No no honey Daddy and I don't want your knees inflected," Nell said, leaving Elena confused.

"Oh, in a hundred years, you'll have forgotten all about this," Bobby Lee grinned as he gave her another kiss.

When Elena was feeling better, they looked at each of the tables. "How will we find them?" Sabrina asked.

"I've got a wild idea," Nell said as she looked at the toys on the tables. "Sandra, may I use Fig as an example?"

"Go ahead," Sandra nodded.

"Well, I think we need to remember those pictures we were drawing earlier," Nell started. "If you look closely at each toy on the table, you'll see little differences in each one. For example, Sandra, what color eyes does Fig have?"

"Blue," Sandra replied. "But the table where Elena thought she found Kitty has a Fig with pink eyes. I see your point. What does Kitty look like?"

"Elena Lydia knows Kitty better than all of us so why doesn't she tell you?" Bianca suggested with a smile.

"Go ahead Love Bug," Nell offered as Elena looked at the different versions of Kitty.

Elena looked at each of the different Kitties on the tables. The differences were small, but Elena knew Kitty when she saw her. "Wings on Kitty's back!" she cried, pointing to a table.

James looked at a table where a Kitty was. He saw wings on its back and reached out for it, only to be surprised with a face full of purple smoke. "Okay, maybe Elena has Kitty on that table," he said as he coughed the smoke out of his face.

Nell and Bobby Lee were with Elena when she was about to pick up the Kitty she found. She reached out for it...and Kitty stayed in her hand. "Kitty! Mommy, Daddy, Kitty's back!" she cheered, dancing around with her newly restored friend.

At the same time, Gabby was looking at the tables, looking for Elena's feelings puzzle. The only face they had with them was the happy face which had been on the scroll, but at least each feelings puzzle had a bag of faces with it.

She knew the puzzle by heart from seeing it many times with Elena and Nell over the course of two years. As Gabby watched her sister play with Kitty, she grabbed a bag, hoping it was the right one.

Inside the bag was a little girl doll with red curly hair. "I found Elena's feelings puzzle!" she called.

"That's fantastic, Gab-Gab!" Bobby Lee grinned as she brought it over.

Nell pulled out the happy face she'd kept in her pocket. "What do you think, Elena? Should your doll be happy she's with you again?"

Elena looked up from Kitty for a second. "Yes!" she cheered as Gabby returned it.

Elena pretended that Kitty was hugging the doll as Sabrina and Madeline looked bored out of their mind.

If they had to search all day for stuff that wasn't theirs, they would rather watch paint dry.

"Hey! Kitty mine!" Elena yelled, feeling Madeline taking her away.

"You want to say it or should I?" Nell asked Bianca.

"Together," Bianca frowned, and they shouted together, "Madeline Elizabeth! Sabrina Marie!"

Just like they had with Snow White that one time, Madeline and Sabrina quickly put Kitty in Elena's arms and backed away.

"If you don't want to participate in this, then you can go inside," Nell started. "Otherwise, we're finishing the game."

"I'm sorry, Elena," Madeline apologized.

"I'm sorry, too, Elena," Sabrina added.

"I didn't have anything taken from me either, but you don't see me doing something like that," Zoe agreed. "And at least I was trying to help when those things went missing! And I cheered on Sandra when she was dueling Bobby Lee! What were you two doing this whole time?"

"Yeah! What was it?!" Gabby wondered as she patted Elena's back.

"Kitty," Elena muttered, hugging her friend close.

"It's okay, Elena," Sandra assured her as she led her to another table. "Why don't you and your Kitty help me find my kitty?"

"Okay," Elena agreed, but she kept a close watch on Kitty.

"Okay, Elena, we're looking for a black-and-white tuxedo cat with blue eyes," Sandra said as she looked at each table. "He doesn't have wings on his back, but he's about the same size as your Kitty."

Elena looked at the different tables. She saw a Fig with brown eyes at one table, a Fig with green eyes at another table, then when she saw a Fig with blue eyes, she called, "Sandra! It's your kitty!"

Sandra walked over and got a good look at him. She picked him up and smiled. "That's my kitty!" she agreed as she and Elena went back to the others.

"Elena you did it!" Gabby giggled, hugging her sister close.

"Kitty friend with your kitty?" Elena wondered, looking at Sandra with big eyes.

"That's right, we have our kitty friends!" Sandra grinned.

"Okay, I guess I'll go next..." Bobby Lee looked at the tables.

He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking about Lamb Lamb before a memory came to his mind of his father and having Lamb Lamb for the first time.

 _"Daddy, I love him! Mommy! Look what Daddy got me!"_

His squeaky four year old voice played in his mind as Bobby Lee held back tears, feeling Florence take his hand.

"Robert, there's too many Lamb Lambs for you to pick from isn't there?" Florence guessed, seeing the tears in his eyes.

"I just want to find the Lamb Lamb that Daddy gave me Mother," Bobby Lee choked, biting his lip so he wouldn't cry in front of everyone.

"I know you'll find him, sweetheart," Florence assured him. "You remember what he looks like, don't you?"

Bobby Lee smiled a little, remembering how he carried his little friend around. He recalled that he had to replace the bow around Lamb-Lamb's neck whenever it got worn and ratty. He remembered that he had put a new bow around Lamb-Lamb's neck when Elena and Gabby were born. He studied the bows around the different lambs' necks. He suddenly smiled when he saw a bow that looked fresher than the others. He reached for it, and it didn't disappear.

"I knew he was on one of the tables," Florence smiled, "It was wise to check the different bows around the necks."

"I'm just happy Lamb-Lamb's safe," Bobby Lee smiled.

"My turn," James spoke up as he went over to the tables.

It was just him and Nell to find their treasured items as James looked around each table to each Little Rex.

Little Rex seemed huge when he was little but as James got older, the dog had grown a little smaller, having him stare at the animals for a moment.

"Doggies go away!" Gabby cried, pushing a table over in fear.

"It's all right, Gabby, it's just a toy," Nell assured her.

"There's nothing to be scared of, Gabby," James agreed. "It's just like when you thought I was in trouble, but the dogs were playing with me."

"Tell her the story, James," Roland suggested.

"Okay," James agreed. He took a chair from a different table and sat down on it with Gabby in his lap. "After Rex was sent away, Bianca and Bobby Lee suggested that I work with the royal dog trainers. It wasn't the same as having a dog with me again, but at least I was happy to work with them and stopped giving everyone a hard time."

"What about when the dog jumped on you?" Florence asked.

"It wasn't just one; it was all of them," James grinned. "One day I was helping in the kitchen and I forgot to wash my hands before I helped with the dogs. When I went out, I saw Elena and Gabby playing and went over to say hello before I went to work. I saw the dogs running toward them, since they caught the smell of the turkey I was helping the chefs make in the kitchen. I pushed Elena and Gabby into the bushes before the dogs got too close, and they knocked me down and started licking me."

Gabby joined her sister in giggling at the memory. James wanted to protect them, and all the dogs were sniffing and licking him.

"That was funny!" Elena giggled.

"Yeah, it kind of was," James admitted. "Then Nell sat me down, told me that she was proud of me for protecting you, and said that she wanted to give me one of the new puppies to thank me. And that's how I got Jagger." He smiled as he went over to a table and selected a dog. It didn't disappear, and his smile widened. "Little Rex!"

"I like Little Rex," Gabby smiled, "He's not scary."

"Like we say, sweetheart, take your time around the doggies," Nell said as she took her in her arms.

"Yes Mommy," Gabby muttered, wanting to play with Little Rex.

"Kitty?" Elena suggested, seeing her sister become bored.

"How about this, Love Bug: Kitty, Fig, Lamb-Lamb, and Little Rex can have their own party while we find Mommy's necklace?" Bobby Lee suggested.

"Okay!" Elena smiled, but she whispered, "Auntie Madeline and Auntie Sabrina can't play with Kitty!"

"I agree," Nell agreed, "If they didn't help find Kitty, or any of the other mementos, they shouldn't play with them," She turned to Madeline and Sabrina. "And I know you two are probably too old for time-outs, but Madeline, go to that table over there, and Sabrina, go to that table over there. You know better than to take what doesn't belong to you. We've had this discussion before."

"Yes, Nell," Madeline and Sabrina murmured as they went to the tables their sister was pointing at.

"Helen Genevieve, Florence and I will watch Madeline Elizabeth and Sabrina Marie while you find your necklace," Bianca offered.

"Thanks, Bianca," Nell smiled.

Bianca smiled back, messing up her hair. "You're welcome Helen Genevieve."

"Hearts everywhere!" Elena cried with a giggle, trying to grab what she thought was Nell's necklace, only to fall again.

Take it easy, Love Bug; the hearts aren't going anywhere," Nell smiled as she caught her. "There's just a little puff of smoke as if it does vanish, but the heart stays where it is unless you take the right one."

"See? The heart came back," Bobby Lee agreed when the smoke cleared.

"Wait a minute. You say your locket has pictures in it," Zoe suggested as she came over. "Maybe if we're really careful and open one of the lockets, we'll see what's in there."

Suddenly, there was another puff of purple smoke, and a note appeared. "'Very clever, Princess Zoe; that's how Miss Helen's illusion works.'"

"Yay Zoe!" Elena cheered.

"Thank you, Elena," Zoe smiled, "Now, let's see if I'm right." She took a locket off a bush and carefully opened it. Nell looked at it with her. There was a picture of a man and a woman, but Nell saw that they weren't Edward and Lydia. The two coughed as they got a facefull of smoke. When it cleared, Zoe said, "Sorry, Nell."

"It's all right," Nell smiled. "That was a really good idea, and now we know how the trick works."

It took a few minutes to find it, since there were several necklaces to look at.

As they searched, Madeline and Sabrina's time-out had ended, and Bianca had them help search as well.

"But this is boring!" Madeline complained, crossing her arms.

"You don't see your nieces complaining about helping do you?" Bianca wondered in annoyance.

"Miss Bianca, they're three. Anything can be fun to them," Sabrina grumbled as she kicked a pebble. "Besides, only Nell remembers Mommy and Daddy!"

"Yeah! When we see her with Elena and Gabby, w-we get mad. T-They get her forever! Why couldn't Nell be the one that went bye bye instead of Mommy?" Madeline asked with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Because if Helen Genevieve went bye-bye, you'd still be Jimmy's prisoners, and who knows what would have happened to you," Bianca replied. "You both wanted to help her escape, and you're still living together now. It's just that your family has gotten a little bigger."

"And just because Helen has Elena and Gabby in her life now doesn't mean she doesn't love you any less," Florence agreed.

"You'll always be my sisters, girls," Nell added as she came over. "I always told you stories about Mama and Papa when we were Jimmy's prisoners, and I told you stories about them when we escaped, and I told you about them when we came to live here."

Madeline and Sabrina nodded slowly. They were listening, but they were looking at the necklaces on a bush. Madeline remembered how it looked when Nell wore it when she and Bobby Lee got married. She absently reached for one, and Nell helped her open it. When it didn't disappear, the girls smiled.

"Thank you!" Nell smiled as she put the necklace on. "I'm so glad you helped me find Mama's necklace! And I will ask Mr. Cedric to make two of these necklaces real so you each can have one as a reward."

"But what will we put in them?" Sabrina wondered with a frown.

"Whatever you girls want," Nell muttered, hugging them close as Madeline started to cry. "Madeline, what is it?"

"We don't have pictures of Mommy and Daddy," Madeline sniffled.

"That's okay," Nell smiled, "When we have Mr. Cedric make copies of my necklace, we can have him make copies of Mama and Papa's pictures for the inside. Does that sound okay?"

Madeline and Sabrina nodded as the castle courtyard was once again filled with purple smoke. "That won't be a problem, my dears," they heard a new voice say as the smoke cleared.

"Mr. Cedric!" Sofia cried with a laugh, running up to one of her very dear friends.

"Why you bad Mr. Magic man?" Elena asked with a growl.

"I meant you no harm, I assure you," Cedric smiled. "This was merely a game that a new friend of mine told me about."

"If you're talking about Aleena, you're right; she does enjoy a good mystery," Robert nodded; everyone in Orillia Castle liked it when their Royal Sorceress set up puzzles for them and their guests to solve.

"And if you'll tell me today's date, I'll tell you another reason why I did this," Cedric continued.

Bianca retrieved a small calendar. "Today is September 20th," she said as she looked at the date.

"Wait a minute," James looked up. "September 20th is the day I first started writing my Andrew Harmon mysteries! I remember that I was sick on that day. Mom was still alive and she was reading me a mystery story. She saw how much I liked it, and since she knew I like writing, she suggested that I write one of my own. I put myself and Amber in it, but I used our middle names as the characters' first and last names."

"I remember that," Amber smiled, "You took your story to school and let the teacher read it. She gave you a gold star and said to keep up the good work!"

"And he certainly has," Roland smiled, putting an arm around James.

"I've also read several of Prince James' other mysteries, and they are rather good. So I thought I'd combine the two ideas," Cedric agreed. "I do apologize if I caused any trouble, but I thought I'd commemorate the anniversary of Prince James' first gold star story."

"No harm was really done, Cedric," Miranda assured him, Roland nodding at her side. "This really was exciting, and fun for everybody."

"But he's still bad!" Gabby yelled as Elena held up her kitty. "Elena what are you doing?"

"Kitty no like Mr. Magic man's birdie!" Elena answered, swatting one of Kitty's paws at Wormwood.

"Mr. Magic Man's birdie isn't too fond of Kitty either," Wormwood muttered.

"Come on over here, birdie friend," Sandra offered, extending her arm toward him. "You'll be safe with me."

"Birdie friend?" Wormwood echoed as he landed on her arm. "It's nice that you consider me a friend, Princess, but my name is Wormwood."

"Okay, Wormwood," Sandra agreed. "You'll be safe from Kitty, but you don't have to worry, Fig likes everyone."

Wormwood rolled his eyes, but he smirked in amusement. "That's good to know."

"Why you speak?" Elena wondered Wormwood with a frown, having Kitty pet his wing. "Speak again!"

"Honey, Wormwood doesn't talk sweetheart!" Nell chuckled with a smile.

Covering for himself and Wormwood, since he knew that Nell and Elena hadn't been around when Wormwood got the speaking potion spilled on him, Cedric took Wormwood from Sandra and said quickly, "Thank you for participating in my ventriloquism act, Princess."

"Ventriloquism act?" Wormwood repeated.

"Work with me, Wormy," Cedric whispered. "Just another little trick of mine, dear girl." he said to Elena.

Elena was about to ask another question, when Bobby Lee, who was standing by another table, called out, "Who wants cake?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"Cake?!" Elena and Gabby asked with their mouths wide. "But you and Mommy say no to sugar."

"Just to lots of it honey!" Nell chuckled with a smile. "We don't want you hyper."

"I think they'd be hyper even if they had a little bit of cake," Bobby Lee grinned.

"I think you're thinking of Madeline and Sabrina," Nell smirked. "Elena and Gabby wouldn't overdo it with cake." She turned to the girls and gave them a mock frown. "Would you?"

"No, Mommy," Elena and Gabby smiled innocently.

"Good girls!" Nell chuckled with a smile, patting their heads. "Bobby Lee, give them a little bit extra for being such good helpers today."

"What?!" Sabrina asked, dropping her fork.

"That's not fair!" Madeline pouted as Elena flinched, holding up Kitty for protection.

"Like Zoe said, what were you two doing all this time?" Sofia asked, "Did you help Elena find Kitty or her feelings puzzle? And did you help James when Little Rex was missing?"

"Well..." Sabrina hesitated.

"And why didn't you cheer for Bobby Lee and Sandra?" Zoe asked, recalling how quiet the two of them had been. At first she thought they didn't like fencing, but she had seen that they had looked a little bored during the whole thing.

"You weren't in on Mr. Cedric's game, were you?" Sandra half-joked.

"No, but..." Madeline started.

"But what?!" Gabby snapped before turning to Elena with a soft smile. "Elena, you can put Kitty back down now."

"No. Auntie Madeline is scary when mad," Elena muttered, holding Kitty close to her. "And likes to use her hands."

"Elena, that was one time. You didn't know that she needed that paper birdie thingy for school after having an accident on it," Gabby reminded her with a smile. "Besides you were sick that day, Mommy and Daddy know that."

"I know," Elena recalled with a sniff. "But Auntie Madeline does it all the time since then."

"All the time?" Gabby asked in shock, seeing everyone stop their conversations to look at them. "Mommy says we can't hit people when mad!"

"This is the first time I'm hearing about this," Bianca spoke up. "Madeline Elizabeth, would you like to explain yourself?"

"Yes Madeline would you?" Sabrina asked, not in denial but in shock that her sister would harm one of their family members.

"I agree. Madeline what brought this on?!" Nell growled as Elena ran to her, burying her face in her dress. "Jealousy? Something you thought would be fun to do behind our backs?"

"I...I..." Madeline stammered before running off in tears.

"I'm sorry, Nell," Sabrina said softly. "I didn't mean to be so mean to everyone and not help."

Nell gave her a little hug. "I know, but you made up for it when you were helping me find my necklace."

"You made Mommy happy!" Elena giggled softly, joining in on the hug.

"Daddy cake?" Gabby wondered, looking hungrily at the cake with big eyes. "Please?"

"Okay, I'll get you each a small piece," Bobby Lee nodded.

"Save some for me; I'm going to talk to Madeline and see what this is all about," Nell said as she went after Madeline.

She knew where to find her, since she sometimes liked hiding in James' tree house. She smiled as she remembered him showing Madeline and Sabrina around there, saying they could go up in it any time he wasn't using it. She also heard him promise to take Elena and Gabby up there when they were older.

"Madeline, can we talk for a minute?" Nell asked, seeing Madeline with her face in her dress.

"No!" Madeline mumbled, not bothering to look up before feeling herself in the air. "Nell what are you-"

"You thought I forgot Mama's flying game that she would do when she knew that you two were upset?" Nell asked with a chuckle before hearing Madeline sigh. "Madeline, baby, what made you do what you've done to Elena?"

"I don't know. Sometimes I get mad about what she does. Sometimes I yell at her to be normal like us. Last night after you and Bobby Lee went to bed and Gabby went to bed, Elena woke up again and came into my room, looking for Kitty and I got mad and said something that I know you won't like," Madeline confessed with a sniff, looking up at her sister in shame.

"What was it Madeline?" Nell wondered with a sigh, stroking her hair. "And please tell me everything. Including what makes you so mad that you use harm on Elena."

"I told her that she was the only one who cared about her stupid Kitty," Madeline sniffled. "Nobody cared that stupid Kitty was gone. Then I shouted 'Go to bed stupid sped.'"

"Well, that explains why I heard Elena crying as she went to sleep, but Madeline, I can't believe you'd say something like that," Nell frowned. "I expect that sort of language from Jack, since he doesn't know any better about autism, but certainly not from my own sister."

"I was also scared when Bobby Lee and Princess Sandra were fencing," Madeline murmured. "I don't like it when people come at me with swords. What if she got hurt?"

"Remember the trophy you saw when Princess Sandra first came?" Nell asked, "She got second place in her fencing tournament. That means she's quite good with a blade. She says the knights at her castle trained her."

"But Jimmy's son Robby always pointed his knife at me and Sabrina when Jimmy was alone with you," Madeline shuddered. "He said he'd hurt us if we tried to help you. I told him I didn't care, and I tried to go into the room once, and he hit me."

"So you think it's a good idea to do what you do because of a certain someone's son?" Nell asked as Madeline sniffed softly. "Oh Madeline..."

"Jimmy still in trouble?" Madeline asked with a sniff, remembering him well before shuddering in fear.

"Oh, yes, Jimmy's still in trouble for everything he did to us," Nell's grip on her sister tightened. "He'll rot in the castle dungeon until Elena and Gabby are eighteen, and when that day comes, he'll be executed."

"What about Beth and Robby?" Madeline asked.

"Don't worry, they were caught and they'll be executed too," Nell assured her.

"Do you talk to him? Do you talk about Elena and Gabby?" Madeline wondered, looking down in shame.

"Yes. I do. He'll never for the life of him see his daughters!" Nell shouted, taking Madeline in her arms. "I don't want Elena and Gabby hurt like we were."

"And we'll make sure to protect them from the likes of Jimmy McDonald and his family," Bobby Lee promised as he came up. "You can make sure of that."

"Bobby Lee!" Madeline cried before seeing the plates of cake with him. "Cake!"

"Bobby Lee thank you," Nell muttered with a smile. "And not just for the cake."

"You're welcome Helen. And to be honest I never want that b I mean jerk to be mentioned around the girls until you're ready to tell them," Bobby Lee promised with a smile, kissing her cheek. "And with the mystery solved we can-"

"No. Let's wait a year to have our own bundle of joy." Nell interrupted, seeing that Madeline was still with them.

"You're right, of course. And as Roland and Miranda say, good things come to those who wait," Bobby Lee smiled.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, enjoying the cake Bobby Lee had brought, then Nell suggested, "Madeline, are you ready to come back down?"

"Okay," Madeline nodded. "I'll apologize to Elena about everything I said."

"That's all we ask," Nell smiled as she and Bobby Lee hugged Madeline.

"Am I still in trouble?" Madeline asked as Nell helped her climb down.

"We'll let the grown ups decide honey," Nell said with a smile.

"But you are grown ups!" Madeline pouted with a giggle.

"Well, how about this?" Nell suggested, "There won't be any timeout for you, but you'll be grounded for a week for what you said to Elena, and how you acted. And for the entire week, you'll be responsible for her. Bobby Lee and I'll do the parts that require a grownup's attention, but you're going to watch her, play with her, and get things for her."

"And didn't Bianca say something once about a letter you had to write?" Bobby Lee asked.

"You know, that's not a bad idea," Nell agreed. "When I took Lamb-Lamb, Mama made me write you a letter of apology. I'll help you with spelling, Madeline, but that's it. And no asking James to write it for you."

"But he's so good at writing!" Madeline protested.

"That's true, but this is a writing project you'll have to do on your own," Nell said again.

8m agoMadeline frowned but hugged her sister gently before seeing Elena playing with Sofia's rabbit Clover who looked miserable.

"Cuddle bunny!" Elena cheered before looking up at Madeline. "No hit!"

"No, I'm not going to hit you, or cuddle bunny," Madeline said. "I'm sorry about what I said, Elena. Nell's making me write you a letter that explains everything, and she'll read it to you. And this week, we're going to play together."

Elena nodded. She looked happy that Madeline was going to play with her, but then something crossed her mind. "You can't go near Snow White..."

"Okay. I won't go near Snow White," Madeline agreed. "If you want to play with her, I'll get Nell or Bobby Lee to go with you and I'll wait for you outside."

Elena shook her head. "You play dress up!"

"Dress up?" Madeline asked in distraught.

"Dress up!" Elena repeated.

"Okay, we'll play dress up," Madeline resigned herself to what Elena wanted to do.

"Amber play dress up too?" Elena asked.

"She'd love that," Nell smiled. "Sofia, James, Amber, and their friends can play with you if you want them to, but Madeline is going to be by your side no matter what."

Elena nodded happily, dragging Madeline by her hand as Nell and Bobby Lee couldn't help but chuckle.

"You know maybe Zoe would like to enjoy dress up," Sandra muttered with a smile, saluting Bobby Lee with her blade.

"Yeah!" Zoe cheered, following after them.

"Good thinking," Patricia agreed as Sandra followed the group.

"I have to admit that mystery was actually fun," Nell said as Bobby Lee followed behind her and the group. "Wish we could do something like that again."

"Like for your twentieth birthday?" Bobby Lee suggested with a smirk.

"You're trying to show off your aging wife aren't you?" Nell asked with a smirk of her own.

"What do you mean aging? You don't look a day over sixteen," Bobby Lee smiled.

"Yeah, right," Nell smirked as she kissed him on the cheek.

"Helen you're eighteen. We both got a few years before we're like Mother!" Bobby Lee smirked, kissing her cheek.

"Robert! At least you have yours still!" Nell laughed softly looking at Elena and a frowning Madeline who looked like she was ready to protest the idea of being with her niece for a week.

"I know," Bobby Lee's smirk dropped. "But at least she was there to help you when Elena and Gabby were born. She told me all about it the first night. She, Bianca, Roland, and Miranda were all there for you, and Mother said that Lydia was watching over you."

"I remember," Nell muttered, smiling before laughing softly. "Though while I was sleeping through the first night, I remember dreaming that someone came in and started drawing the three of us!"

"You weren't dreaming!" Bobby Lee chuckled with a smile. "Amber came in and was drawing the three of you," he informed her, "Although, she had a little trouble concentrating due to a horrible snarling monster in the room!"

"A horrible snarling monster?" Nell repeated.

"Like this," Bobby Lee tilted his head back and pretended to snore very loudly. "I'm surprised the girls didn't wake up, but it woke me up twice that night! You of course slept right through it!"

"Robert..." Nell frowned.

"And I know you say your O'Malley bed hair is hereditary, but let's all hope and pray your snoring isn't!"

"Robert Lee Johnson, I'm warning you!"

They were cut off by Elena and Gabby giggling. "Daddy monster noise again!" Elena giggled.

"Don't worry, Love Bug; you'll hear the monster when Mommy's asleep," Bobby Lee assured her.

"Mommy monster!" Gabby giggled, hugging Nell tightly.

"I hope you don't get this in their heads Bobby Lee!" Nell snarled, trying not to frown at Gabby.

"Girls, Daddy needs a human shield," Bobby Lee said quickly, ducking behind Elena and Gabby.

"Robert, are you being nice to Helen?" Florence asked, giving him the same look she used to when he teased her when they were children.

"Yes, Mother," Bobby Lee smiled innocently.

"No he's not!" Nell whined like she had done as a child, leaving Elena and Gabby to giggle along with Zoe.

"Do they always act like this?" Zoe wondered with a chuckle.

"Oh, no; sometimes they're much worse," Florence smirked. "Robert, don't make me put you in time-out!"

"That doesn't work on me!" Bobby Lee grinned, kissing her cheek like he used to when he got in trouble for teasing Nell.

Bianca chuckled, shaking her head softly at Nell and Bobby Lee. "They're young adults but bicker like they're children."

"Roland and I do it sometimes ourselves!" Miranda chuckled with a smile. "Nell, Robert, calm down."

"But he called me a monster!" Nell pouted as Madeline handed her a dress up gown.

"Have you *heard* her snore?" Bobby Lee asked.

"I think all of DUNWIDDIE could hear that!" James smirked; he had gone into Nell and Bobby Lee's room to get something for Bianca once, and he had been startled by a loud sound, which turned out to be Nell's snoring while she was taking a nap.

"Bianca, Roland, Miranda, make them stop!" Nell whined.

"Come on you two! Enough nonsense!" Bianca chuckled, seeing Nell starting to blush. "Madeline Elizabeth, you're giving out all these clothes just for dress up?"

"Well I can't say no to Elena," Madeline scoffed, rolling her eyes at Nell for thinking of the punishment.

"We make Birdie pretty too?" Elena asked, holding a hat toward Wormwood.

"I don't know about Wormwood, but I do know that kitties are quite fashionable in hats," Sandra smiled as she found a small hat and put it on Kitty.

"Your kitty likes hats too?" Elena asked, finding a hat and putting it on Fig.

"Yes he does, and so does Ambre!" Sandra grinned.

"She tortures that poor kitty!" Robert smiled. "Yanking him up, spinning him around, making him wear hats!"

"Oh, he loves it," Patricia smiled. "She gave you that calendar of him wearing those different hats for a Wassalia present last year!"

"And he loves dancing," Sandra smiled. "He never complains when we dance in my room."

"Don't get any ideas!" Nell warned with a smirk, knowing that with Elena, ideas turned into reality.

"Snow White likes music Mommy!" Elena pouted with a frown. "She likes the kitties muse it cal!"

"You played them Cats?" Bobby Lee asked James with a laugh.

"Remember when I was playing all those cat-related songs when Elena was having a meltdown over a toy?" James asked. "Nell and I sang a song from Cats, and I made Elena that tape."

"That's right; we did sing that song," Nell smiled at the memory. "And Cedric made a copy of the tape for Gabby."

"I take James' tape out to Snow White," Elena added. "She likes hearing kitty songs."

"I'm sure she does. She and her little friends wake Clover up at night sometimes!" Sofia chuckled, patting Elena on the head.

"They sing kitty songs?!" Gabby asked with a giggle.

"I heard Elena playing her tape when she was in the stable with the kitties, and I played along with her when she said that they were singing along," Sofia invented quickly, knowing that the group hadn't been around when Wormwood got the speaking potion spilled on him. "They sounded so cute when they were singing along!"

"Just think. Elena invented her own kitty singing group!" Bobby Lee chuckled, making Nell smile down at Elena.

"Elena and the kitties!" Gabby shouted, jumping up and down.

"Ambre can be in the group too!" Elena added.

"Well, he does love to sing, but since he doesn't travel well, how about we make him an honorary member of your kitty's singing group?" Sandra suggested.

"Okay!" Elena cheered. She stared at her family and friends with a smile. "Dress up now?"

"All of us Love Bug?" Nell wondered with a smile.

"All girls!" Elena moved the box toward her.

"Don't mind if I do!" Amber smiled, taking out a feather boa.

"Okay," Sofia agreed as she found a hat that looked similar to the one she wore when she was picked to sing at the Harvest Festival.

"I call this one," Sandra called, finding a long hooded cloak.

"Look at this!" Zoe cheered as she drew out a yellow flapper-style dress that Bianca had tried to keep hidden from Nell and Bobby Lee.

"I wear this!" Gabby said as she put on a hat with a big brim.

"Now we have fashion show!" Elena cheered when all the girls had found their outfits.

"Something you'd like to tell us about Princess Zoe's dress, Bianca?" Nell teased, seeing Bianca's reaction to Zoe's discovery.

"Was it inappropriate for her?" Bobby Lee teased with a chuckle.

"Robert Lee! It's just a dress!" Bianca yelled, trying to hide a blush as Elena tugged on her dress.

"Mommy, Grand Mommy, and Miss Bianca too?" Elena wondered with a smile.

"I think I'll just watch you, sweetheart," Bianca said as she went over to a chair.

"All right, Bianca, if you won't tell them, I will," Florence said as she looked over the dress. She smiled as memories came back to her. "That was one of a set of dresses Bianca, Lydia, her friends, and I used to wear. Those dresses were worn by people called flappers. Bianca, Lydia, and I saw people wearing dresses like those, and since we liked fashion, we designed dresses that were similar to the ones we saw in the stores."

"And you wore this?" James asked.

"Oh yes," Florence grinned. "There was a dance one night, and Bianca, Lydia, Caroline, Elizabeth, Annabelle, and I made dresses to it."

"Just like Cinderella before her sisters ruined it?" Gabby asked.

"That's right, Gabby," Florence nodded. "Only ours weren't ruined by wicked stepsisters. Everyone raved about our dresses and asked where we'd gotten them. Imagine their surprise when we told them that we made them ourselves!"

"Mama did tell me a story like that once. I just thought it was a silly story to put me to sleep!" Nell chuckled, seeing the dress for herself.

"I have Lydia's somewhere Helen. It would be nice to have it passed down to you," Florence muttered with a smile. "You could wear it out to a outing between you and Robert."

"That sounds like fun!" Bobby Lee grinned. "You can make little ones for Elena and Gabby, and the three of you can wear them to a costume ball here at the castle!"

"That sounds like a great idea," Nell agreed. "Especially with Elena always following me around!"

"Like a puppy!" Elena giggled before seeing Gabby flinch. "I'm not a doggie, Gabby."

"I know," Gabby admitted. "I'm sorry, Elena."

"You get used to doggies in your own time," Elena repeated what Nell and Bobby Lee often told her.

"That's right, but you like little doggies, don't you?" Sandra asked. When Gabby nodded, she continued, "If you come to Orillia, you can meet Spike, Zoe and Ezekiel's dachshund. He loves jumping on people, and licking them."

"Like the doggies did with James?" Gabby asked, giggling as she remembered the story James told her.

"I guess so; I wasn't there when it happened with James, but Spike is friendly," Sandra replied.

Gabby shyly hugged Sandra as the thought of doggie visiting creeped up on her. She didn't want to be rude but the thought of a dog, especially an excitable one like Rex was, made her scared.

"Excuse me," Gabby muttered before tugging on Bobby Lee's pants.

"Gab-Gab, I couldn't help hearing about Spike. Roland told me about him; he was here once when we were out of town," Bobby Lee said as he picked her up. "He slept with James for his entire visit, and stayed close to him."

"That's right," James agreed. "Sandra said that even though Spike likes to jump on people, he's okay as long as someone's there to keep an eye on him."

"Just like with Jaggy?" Gabby asked.

"Exactly," James nodded.

"You don't have to meet Spike if you don't want to," Sandra added. "You can meet Ambre and our own barn cats." She knelt down to Gabby's level and whispered, "I know how you feel. I'm not crazy about big dogs myself."

"Did one bite you?" Gabby asked.

"No, but one ran at me," Sandra shuddered. "I was walking to a Buttercup meeting and a large dog started running toward me. I didn't know whether to run or hide in the closest shop."

"What did you do?" Gabby asked.

"What any person would do," Sandra grinned. "I screamed, and it ran away. The owner of the shop walked me to the Buttercups' meeting place, and the people who owned the dog came a few minutes later and apologized for letting him run loose like that."

"Wish Rex could've said sorry. Bad doggie," Gabby shuddered, trying to block him out of her mind.

"It could've been an accident Gabby," Robert assured her with a gentle smile even though he read letters about the incident. "He could've just been playing."

"Maybe," Gabby admitted. "But Jaggy's nicer than Rex."

"We heard about him, too," Robert nodded. "He sounds nice, and he's been trained as a therapy dog."

"James trained him well," Bobby Lee grinned. "Gabby's gotten used to seeing him around, but she still gets scared sometimes. We tell her to take her time to get used to him."

"That's all you can really do," Robert agreed.


End file.
